The final stage is rated as hilly, the main feature will be the Selladi Tou Appi climb at the end of the stage. A ten kilometer downhill follows after the top with a finish in Pomos. The battle for the stage might come down to a specialized puncheur attacking on the climb, a reduced group sprint or a surviving breakaway. The battle for the GC will hopefully be more exciting than yesterday's procession up the Olympus. With the riders at the top of the classification very close together, we expect fireworks, but we also expected that yesterday and look what we got.
The first three attackers of the day are Mukaj, Abreu and Dzhus. Surely more will follow.
The intermediate sprint is uncontested with Dzhus crossing the line ahead of Izagirre, who joined the group. Together they drop Abreu and Mukaj who are picked up by the second group containing Berard, Burke, Scarponi, Andriafenomananiaina and Godoy.
The Rostrum team, anonymous in this stage and the entire race so far, has punishment exercise from their manager as they catch everyone except Dzhus. Then Mat Senan attacks so Dzhus doesn't feel lonely. It's an interesting way of getting your rider in the break.
Stage favorites Meyer and Juul-Jensen attack shortly after each other. Apparently they don't trust they will get the chance in the finale so the breakaway is the best option for them. Juul-Jensen won this exact stage last year with a late attack.
The four meet in Agios Ioannis for another uncontested sprint, won by Dzhus. The gap is 2'19 to the peloton and no more riders seem willing to join. Campari controls the pace as is expected when you have the race leader, Netia and Berg would help out a bit.
Dzhus, the earliest of the attacker, is dropped on an uncategorized hill. The gap never got over three minutes due to the pace control, currently 1'40 with 77 kilometer to go. Juul-Jensen the most dangerous rider in terms of the GC at only 1'24 from Martin. Meyer would win the third intermediate sprint, also uncontested.
35 mountain points on offer today so Butler could theoretically be displaced, none of the three remaining members of the breakaway with points against their name so far. Meyer takes the first five of the day, three for Juul-Jensen and one for Mat Senan. Dzhus has been caught by the peloton, which is at 1'20 at the moment.
The second category Lefke Kampos goes to Juul-Jensen, ten points. Meyer with eight points but at 15 seconds, Mat Senan with six at 43. The gap to the peloton is up to 1'35 where Bernas, Antunes and Kunshin lead. The size is still about 100 riders, Pozzo (38th at 3'24) the highest ranked rider dropped.
Pibernik thins out the group to 59, dropping Pantano Gomez, Venter and Andriafenomananiaina as biggest names. The trio up front has not reunited yet, 30 seconds to Mat Senan, 50 to Meyer, 1'05 to leader Juul-Jensen.
Juul-Jensen wins another category two climb. The Dane now has 23 points with only a category two climb left, first or second place there should be enough. Meyer and Mat Senan were caught, the remaining points went to Pibernik, Kunshin, Antunes and Beltran. After the downhill the gap went back up to one minute and some backmarkers, including those previously mentioned as dropped, managed to return.
No second consecutive victory for Juul-Jensen as he is caught on the early slopes of the Selladi Tou Appi, also losing his shot at the mountains classification. Venter back at front of the peloton after being dropped earlier, then Rodrigues and Grmay. Martin awake at the front, other favorites not far back either. Martin, Rodrigues, Bennett, Juul-Jensen and Penasa have a mathematical shot at the mountains classification, but they have to take the points now to beat Butler.
Destribois and Dieteren control the pace for the remainder of the climb, not hard enough so anyone gets in trouble but hard enough to discourage attacks. Three kilometer to the top, fifteen to the finish line.
Here we go, Beltran kicks off! Chamorro follows, then Martin reacts with Bennett and Machado right behind him.
In the end it's only Beltran who gets a small gap, Machado and Kwiatkowski now leading the group of favorites. Martin dropping back to sixth in line, letting others do the dirty work for now.
It is not Schelling's race. Time loss on stage one due to echelons and now more loss by being far behind the favorites group. He came here as one of the favorites but has not lived up to that status.
Beltran crosses the top with a small margin, which he has to maintain on the downhill. The stage win and a small gap is enough for the current number six in the GC provided Martin doesn't take bonus seconds.
The favorites group has split, with six riders now as main chasers at sixteen seconds appearing over the top in that order: Machado Kwiatkowski Pomoshnikov Chamorro Bennett Martin
which means Butler has won the mountains classification, because none of his rivals took points.
The second group at another 25 seconds, including Valls Warbasse Faglum Karlsson Penasa Carapaz Anacona Chiarello Topchanyuk
Martin is pretty cautious on the descent, leaving a gap to the riders ahead of him. Chiarello descents better and passes him. 10 kilometer to go, Beltran maintaining his lead, Machado and Pomoshnikov head descenders of the chasers.
Five kilometer and the gap has gone up to 35 seconds, Beltran with a much better descent. The favorites group reunited to form a group of thirteen: Martin (1st GC) Machado (2nd, + 8) Bennett (3rd, + 12) Kwiatkowski (4th, + 20) Valls (5th, + 20) Warbasse (7th, + 20) Penasa (9th, + 20) Pomoshnikov (10th, + 30) Chamorro (11th, + 30) Chiarello (14th, + 30) Topchanyuk (15th, + 30) Kozhatayev (16th, + 47) Stancu (30th, + 2'08)
32 seconds behind them is another group with Faglum Karlsson (8th, + 20), Carapaz (12th, + 30) and Anacona (13th, + 30). Schelling in the group behind that group.
The gap is not coming down and the chasers are running out of road, only two kilometer to go. Bennett attacks from the group behind, followed by Valls and Martin. It's the only way to close the gap.
Beltran isn't going to give away the stage victory, 25 seconds as he heads into the final kilometer. If Martin manages to finish in the top three and in the same time as Beltran, he wins the race but in every other scenario, Beltran takes the double today. Bennett's attempt got nullified by the fact nearly all of the chasers started to sprint.
A division amongst the second group between those who care about the GC and those who don't. Topchanyuk, Martin, Valls, Machado, Chiarello, Bennett, Warbasse, Kwiatkowski and Pomoshnikov care, they sprint for second place and their GC positions. Chamorro, Kozhatayev, Penasa and Stancu don't get involved and might lose a bit of time. Faglum Karlsson leading the third group which is closing in.
Eduard Alexander Beltran waits until he crosses the line to celebrate, the stage win is his and by the looks of it he wins the Tour of Cyprus overall as well! He was in danger of losing time on the first stage with the echelons caused by his team, but he has survived every obstacle in front of him.
Kwiatkowski wins the sprint for second place in front of Bennett. The gap at the finish line is seventeen seconds, so Beltran has the confirmation of his victory.
Fourth place on the stage to Pomoshnikov ahead of Chiarello, Valls and Machado and a disillusioned Martin. Warbasse ninth at 23 seconds, Topchanyuk completing the top ten at 31.
Chamorro, Penasa, Kozhatayev and Stancu 11th to 14th at 41 seconds. Not bothering cost them an extra few seconds and possibly a place in the GC.
Nazaret leads the group Faglum Karlsson over the line, losing 54 seconds to Beltran. Schelling 25th at 1'42.
As previously mentioned but now officially confirmed now everyone has crossed the line, Eduard Alexander Beltran wins the general classification. Martin's previous stage victory is enough to remain second in the general classification. Bennett third there with two third places on the stages. Kwiatkowski winning the tiebreaker against Machado for fourth. Valls sixth, Warbasse seventh because he lost a few more seconds in the sprint. Pomoshnikov and Chiarello jump ahead of Penasa, whose decision not to sprint cost him two places. Faglum Karlsson drops from eighth to thirteenth behind Topchanyuk and Chamorro. Carapaz fourteenth, Anacona fifteenth. Schelling only 25th.
The points classification goes to Nikita Umerbekov, who has not scored a single point in the last two stages. Beltran falls two points short, Martin eight and Bennett nine.
Christopher Butler took no points today but does hold on to the mountains classification with four points over Martin and Rodrigues, five over Bennett and seven over today's challenger Juul-Jensen.
Despite a mediocre stage result, Faglum Karlsson's direct rivals finished behind him and thus wins the young rider classification ahead of Padun and Borisavljevic.
ENI - MOL claims the teams classification on the final day, thanks to Pomoshnikov, Carapaz and Stancu. Desigual second, Popo4Ever dropping to third.
